Kolkata beef fest cancelled after organisers receive threat calls

Organisers of the Kolkata Beef Festival have called off the event after severe online trolling and threat calls which was scheduled to be held at a city hotel on June 23.

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Indrajit Kundu

Kolkata

June 7, 2019

UPDATED: June 7, 2019 18:42 IST

Representational photo| Courtesy: Nayanika Sengupta

HIGHLIGHTS

Organisers of the Kolkata Beef festival have called off the event after severe online trolling and threat calls

Opposing the event, several right-wing organisations and individuals charged the organisers of “insulting Hindus”

After facing trolling, the organisers on Wednesday changed the name to “Kolkata Beep Festival”, only to call off the fest later

After severe online trolling and threat calls, organisers of the Kolkata Beef Festival have called off the event. Scheduled to be held at a city hotel on June 23, the proposed event got massive social media traction with hundreds signing up to attend it.

Opposing the event, several right-wing organisations and individuals charged the organisers of insulting Hindus.

"It can only happen in India where a beef party is being organised openly in a Hindu majority country!" wrote Hindustan Right Wings, a right-wing page on Facebook.

Sharing the mobile number of the organiser, another post read, Hindu brothers, please note that an event to kill our mother cow is being organised in Kolkata. We call upon all cow vigilantes to gather at this event to save the cow.

"Seems like these shameless organisers have sold their conscience, they can do anything for some profit. At a time when the entire nation wants to save the cow, you are organising such an event. Shame on you guys," wrote a Facebook user.

After facing such kind of trolling, the organisers on Wednesday changed the name to Kolkata Beep Festival only to call off the festival eventually.

"For very obvious reasons we had no choice but to change the name. The Accidental Note does not make food political. The objective of the event is to provide a day full of some amazing food and let everyone have a good time. Once again, we would like to point out that although the focus is on a wide arrangement of beef dishes, we shall also have some amazing pork dishes with it. The menu remains the same, and we shall update on that soon," the event organisers posted on Facebook.

"It was meant to be a simple food festival with an evening of music and performance. The intention was never to hurt anyone’s feelings," Arjun Kar, one of the organisers told India Today TV.

"We have been getting hundreds of calls, all through the night. We do not want those attending the event to feel insecure. Therefore, we decided to call off the festival," said another organiser.